Nonprofit negotiating to open former Melton YMCA fields

Beaumont's City Council speaks to a full chamber of residents who were lobbing for the former Melton YMCA building to be opened on nights and weekends for the community to gather.
Photo taken on Tuesday, 01/29/19.
Ryan Welch/The Enterprise less

Beaumont's City Council speaks to a full chamber of residents who were lobbing for the former Melton YMCA building to be opened on nights and weekends for the community to gather.
Photo taken on Tuesday, ... more

Photo: Ryan Welch / The Enterprise

Photo: Ryan Welch / The Enterprise

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Beaumont's City Council speaks to a full chamber of residents who were lobbing for the former Melton YMCA building to be opened on nights and weekends for the community to gather.
Photo taken on Tuesday, 01/29/19.
Ryan Welch/The Enterprise less

Beaumont's City Council speaks to a full chamber of residents who were lobbing for the former Melton YMCA building to be opened on nights and weekends for the community to gather.
Photo taken on Tuesday, ... more

Photo: Ryan Welch / The Enterprise

Nonprofit negotiating to open former Melton YMCA fields

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A local nonprofit may be on its way to subleasing fields outside the former Melton YMCA building on Beaumont's south side.

Residents have gathered at least three times at Beaumont City Council meetings since January, demanding it open the building for children to play after school and on the weekends.

The building was used as a YMCA facility until March 2010, when the board walked away from its lease. It was reopened by a coalition of churches and organizations as the L.L. Melton Family Life Center.

In 2013, the coalition decided it couldn't continue operating the center. Donna Farrell, who runs the center now, then entered into a 20-year lease with the city. Her Recreation Education complex provides services for disabled residents of all ages.

City Councilman Mike Getz said a nonprofit has been talking with Farrell about the possibility of subleasing fields outside the facility that could be used for baseball, soccer, football and other sports.

Contracts have been drawn up but nothing has been signed, he said. Since he posted on Facebook about the negotiations on Friday night, Farrell has been contacted by more than one other nonprofit interested in using the fields, Getz said.

He said any finalized contract would have to come before the Beaumont City Council for approval because the city is leasing the land and building to Farrell.

Farrell could not be reached for comment.

Getz would not name the nonprofits.

While he called a deal like this a "win-win," because Farrell doesn't use the fields and this would allow others to do so, he said it's unlikely residents would be granted use of the building's gym.

"She's not required under her lease to do that and there's no reason she would do that," he said.

Beaumont Mayor Becky Ames said Monday that Getz hasn't shared these developments with city staff or council members.

She said Getz does not have the authority to negotiate on behalf of the council and one member cannot make something happen or put it on the agenda.

Getz is currently facing re-election against challenger Jefferson Fisher.

Fisher spoke at an April 2 council meeting where more than 50 community members attended in favor of opening the Melton Building on nights and weekends for children to play.

"In particular (Ms. Farrell) ... further agrees that the facility will be open to the general public," he said, reading to the council from the city's contract with Farrell. "It doesn't say might be open. It didn't say may be open. It didn't say with consent or permission. It said it will be open to the general, who?, the general public for recreational purposes during regular hours as long as it doesn't unreasonably interfere with the lessee's services."

He called on the council to examine Farrell's lease with the city, in part because allowing children to play in the facility could help reduce future crime.

He said he's not looking for the contract to be renegotiated or ignored, instead for it to be enforced fully. He said members of the community do not want to interfere with Farrell's services and called them a "beautiful" thing.

"The key word is unreasonable. You want to turn it into a nightclub? That's unreasonable. You want to turn it into a pool hall? That's unreasonable," he said. "Children bouncing a ball in a gym? Children playing in a field? I don't know about you but that does not exceed the bounds of reason to me."

City Manager Kyle Hayes said Farrell previously tried allowing the broader community access to the building, but it proved to interfere with operations.